Palestinian sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported on Sunday that one of the fighters of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers on Sunday at dawn after exchanging fire with the soldiers for more than ten hours.
The sources stated that on Saturday evening soldiers surrounded a house in an area located between Tafoa town and Hebron city where a fighter identified as Shihab Ed Deen Al Natsha, 25, was situated.
The fighter exchanged fire with the invading forces for ten hours until the army started demolishing the home where he had fortified himself, and killed him.
Soldiers also kidnapped three Palestinians who were inside the same house, including the owner Wael Mohammad Al Beitar, and Abdul-Qader Abu Aisha while the third remained unknown.
The Israeli security devices claim that Al Natsha provided logistic aid to a suicide bomber who carried a bombing in Demona in February.
Israeli sources reported that Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, praised the soldiers and the security devices for the attack and stated that it was successful but refused to reveal further details.
The Israeli security claims that the slain fighter was an explosives engineer.
The Al Qassam Brigades vowed revenge and stated that its retaliation will be fast and painful.
